Ah, graduation –
convocation season is one of the most exciting and final moments as a student
for most people. This day is the one you’ve been waiting for since you started
your first day as a college freshman. Maybe you’ve even witnessed the classes
before yours graduate and watched with envy as you patiently waited your turn.
And this time, it’s finally your
turn.
Congrats, you did it!
You’ve earned your credentials and are ready to start joining the workforce.
While your journey
with Sprott Shaw may be coming to a close, you will continue to grow and become
the leading industry professionals we envisioned you to be since the day we
first met you.
Below are some snippets of what our inspiring valedictorians from our Lower Mainland graduating class had to say about their journey with Sprott Shaw and how it has changed their life for the better. And if you’ve still got a few more months (or years) before it’s your turn to cross the stage, maybe these speeches will inspire you to work even harder.
Lheizyl De Guzman –
Practical Nursing
East Vancouver
Lheizyl is a Practical
Nursing student who didn’t realize how much her life would change by
pursuing a career in healthcare. As time progressed, Lheizyl “began to develop
qualities and hopes that led [her] to nursing when [she] worked as a Pharmacy
Assistant and Residential and Community Support Worker … So, [she] took a
chance and since then, [her] entire life changed. [She] felt a sense of
direction and purpose that [she’d] never experienced before.”
From her studies, Lheizyl
has “gained knowledge, lifelong friends, and some incredible memories – whether
it was by laughing together at any jokes … rejoicing together after every exam,
bringing potlucks, and celebrating all occasions and holidays. Thus, this is
why [she calls] Sprott Shaw ‘my home away from home.’”
Willow James – Early
Childhood Education Basic
Surrey
As an Early Childhood Education student, Willow’s “educational journey with Sprott Shaw College began when [she] was a stay-at-home mother, being everything to everyone – a wife, mother, sister, daughter – so many pieces of [herself] for everyone else. Coming back to school was [initially] just for [her], but during this year, [she] found that as [she] succeeded, [she] was also teaching [her] daughter that you can have a family, education, and a career – and being a person with a disability should not stop you from striving to be the best version of yourself that you can be.”
As a person living
with a disability, Willow realized that the “limitations that it brings has
taught [her] not only the value of hard work but the satisfaction that comes
when you see the results. The diversity of [her] classmates empowered [her] to
learn from them. Their strength, resilience, and resolve in balancing school,
families, and work made [her] journey seem possible.”
Eduardson Peralta – Business Administration Bookkeeping with Practicum
New Westminster
Eduardson is a Business Administration Bookkeeping student who persevered in the face of hardship. In 2016, “a tragedy struck, [he] was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. [He and his wife] were devastated, [they] didn’t know what to do as [he] was the only one working then.”
After a year of treatment, Eduardson tried to go back to work “only to discover that [his] body still [had] not fully recovered from the surgery and chemotherapy … [He] considered going back to what [he] did years ago, which was an office job … In order to fit into that workforce, [he] needed to upgrade [his] education.” He booked his first “appointment at the New Westminster campus” and after some time, Eduardson completed his program with honours, “got a job and rung the bell.”
For Eduardson, “the
new title under [his] belt from Sprott Shaw College paved the way for [a]
brighter future!”
And with that, once again, congratulations to our Lower Mainland class of 2019! We wish you the best of luck with all your future endeavours!
If you’re looking for employment, our Employment Services Specialists (ESS) can help you with that! Each campus hosts a job board for students and alumni. Drop by your campus anytime to browse the board and speak with your ESS.
